Numbers 3

1 Now this is the history of the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that Yahweh spoke with Moses in Mount Sinai.

2 These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests who were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest`s office.

4 Nadab and Abihu died before Yahweh, when they offered strange fire before Yahweh, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children; and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest`s office in the presence of Aaron their father.

5 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

6 Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him.

7 They shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tent.

8 They shall keep all the furniture of the tent of meeting, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tent.

9 You shall give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons: they are wholly given to him on the behalf of the children of Israel.

10 You shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood: and the stranger who comes near shall be put to death.

11 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

12 I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn who opens the womb among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be mine:

13 for all the firstborn are mine; on the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I made holy to me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and animal; mine they shall be: I am Yahweh.

14 Yahweh spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,

15 Number the children of Levi by their fathers` houses, by their families: every male from a month old and upward shall you number them.

16 Moses numbered them according to the word of Yahweh, as he was commanded.

17 These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.

18 These are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei.

19 The sons of Kohath by their families: Amram, and Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

20 The sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers` houses.

21 Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimeites: these are the families of the Gershonites.

22 Those who were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, even those who were numbered of them were seven thousand and five hundred.

23 The families of the Gershonites shall encamp behind the tent westward.

24 The prince of the fathers` house of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael.

25 The charge of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting shall be the tent, and the Tent, the covering of it, and the screen for the door of the tent of meeting,

26 and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the door of the court, which is by the tent, and by the altar round about, and the cords of it for all the service of it.

27 Of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites: these are the families of the Kohathites.

28 According to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, there were eight thousand and six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary.

29 The families of the sons of Kohath shall encamp on the side of the tent southward.

30 The prince of the fathers` house of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.

31 Their charge shall be the ark, and the table, and the lamp stand, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary with which they minister, and the screen, and all the service of it.

32 Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be prince of the princes of the Levites, [and have] the oversight of those who keep the charge of the sanctuary.

33 Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites: these are the families of Merari.

34 Those who were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand and two hundred.

35 The prince of the fathers` house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail: they shall encamp on the side of the tent northward.

36 The appointed charge of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the tent, and the bars of it, and the pillars of it, and the sockets of it, and all the instruments of it, and all the service of it,

37 and the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords.

38 Those who encamp before the tent eastward, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger who comes near shall be put to death.

39 All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of Yahweh, by their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty-two thousand.

40 Yahweh said to Moses, Number all the firstborn males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.

41 You shall take the Levites for me (I am Yahweh) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the cattle of the children of Israel:

42 and Moses numbered, as Yahweh commanded him, all the first- born among the children of Israel.

43 All the firstborn males according to the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those who were numbered of them, were twenty-two thousand two hundred seventy-three.

44 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

45 Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be mine: I am Yahweh.

46 For the redemption of the two hundred seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel, that are over and above [the number of] the Levites,

47 you shall take five shekels apiece by the poll; after the shekel of the sanctuary shall you take them (the shekel is twenty gerahs):

48 and you shall give the money, with which the odd number of them is redeemed, to Aaron and to his sons.

49 Moses took the redemption-money from those who were over and above those who were redeemed by the Levites;

50 from the firstborn of the children of Israel took he the money, one thousand three hundred sixty-five [shekels], after the shekel of the sanctuary:

51 and Moses gave the redemption-money to Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of Yahweh, as Yahweh commanded Moses.